


Man Like You

by heartlikethat



Category: Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist (TV)
Genre: F/M, Glenn randomly makes an appearance, Karaoke
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-11
Updated: 2020-07-11
Packaged: 2021-03-04 19:29:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,914
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25201705
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/heartlikethat/pseuds/heartlikethat
Summary: Zoey makes two very important realizations.
Relationships: Zoey Clarke/Max Richman
Comments: 11
Kudos: 51





	Man Like You

**Author's Note:**

> Hey there! This is my first fic since 2007 so I apologize if it's a little rough. The song used is "Man Like You" by Alexz Johnson.
> 
> Link to song:  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Br-hrcdxquo  
> Like to lyrics:  
> https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/alexzjohnson/manlikeyou.html

In the wake of her father’s death, Zoey made two very important realizations.

The first realization was that she, Zoey Clarke, had evolved. Like she had truly made some serious progress in her growth as a person. She was now an empathetic, self-aware human being. Of course she was nowhere near perfect by any means, but gone were the days she actively avoided her feelings or having the tough conversations.

One particularly rough night about a week after the funeral, Zoey was sprawled across her bed, heart hammering in her chest. She had been feeling on edge all day and in the stifling silence of her apartment she thought she might actually just _lose her damn mind._

So, she called Joan. _Joan_. At nearly midnight on a Tuesday when Zoey knew her boss had to be at work early the next morning. She vaguely remembered stammering an apology about calling so late but she needed to get out of her own head and would Joan please, _please_ , meet her at the bar near her apartment.

Not even twenty minutes later, Zoey was nursing a whiskey sour when Joan slid onto the bar stool next to hers, lightly resting her hand on top of Zoey’s trembling one, offering reassurance. A small smile crossed Zoey’s face as Joan ordered a drink and the two shared memories of the parents they had lost too soon. They talked until her heart stopped racing and she was no longer on the brink of hysteria.

Zoey had other days where she could feel herself spiraling, but she leaned on her friends and family to help her navigate those moments. Joan, Max, Simon, Mo, David, her mom, even Tobin proved particularly helpful one day at work when he noticed her endlessly pacing the stairs in front of the cereal bar and distracted her with some longwinded justification about how losing his virginity in Better World was, in fact, totes legit. Honestly, it was not exactly a conversation she ever thought she’d be part of, but she welcomed the respite.

The second realization was that she, Zoey Clarke, was in love with Max Richman.

Like so in love that she wanted to shout it from the rooftops or sing about it to a room full of strangers and her closest friends.

Which is what brought her to the karaoke bar tonight.

* * *

  
Zoey dodged her way across the room, scanning the crowd for a familiar face. She skirted around a man who was enthusiastically emphasizing a story with his hands. She just barely managed to avoid getting backhanded when she spotted Max sitting at a small table near the stage with Tobin and Leif. An amused expression graced his features as he listened to Tobin tell what, Zoey assumed, was some outlandish recount of the hijinks of his youth.

“Hey guys,” Zoey said as she lifted herself onto the empty stool next to Max, purposely maneuvering herself closer so she could breathe in his cologne. The past few weeks she had increasingly been having some tantalizing thoughts about a shirtless Max and that cologne mingling with his sweat as their bodies were intertwined.

_Jesus. This was so not the place to be imagining her best friend naked._

Shrugging off her jacket, Zoey surveyed the room and noticed Mo sitting at the bar with Simon and was that… _Glenn?_ She idly wondered what he was doing there when her attention was quickly drawn back to the table as Tobin and Leif got into a heated debate about which class was best suited for each race in some MMORPG. _Tauren. Paladin. Druid._

Zoey stopped feigning interest and shifted her focus entirely on Max, who was grimacing as the person on stage completely butchered their rendition of “Hey Jude”.

She playfully smacked his shoulder. “Hey, not everyone is gifted with an amazing voice like yours.”

He leaned forward and rested his chin on his fist as he smirked at her. “It’s a blessing and a curse.” Zoey rolled her eyes and gently nudged her knee against his thigh.

“So,” Max began, “How was last night? Please tell me our winning streak is still intact.”

“Oh yeah, mom and I totally crushed it. Honestly, David and Emily didn’t stand a chance. I don’t know why they even try at this point. And my mom was happy to fill in for you, by the way. But your presence was definitely missed.”

Max looked genuinely upset as he responded. “I’m sorry I missed out on all the fun. I promise I’ll make it up to you.” Zoey had a few ideas as to how he could do just that. Hopefully later tonight, if all went well.

“Alright,” Zoey clasped her hands together, “let’s take some shots!” Max chuckled as Zoey grabbed his hand and led him to the bar.

Twenty minutes and three shots later, the pair found themselves in a more secluded area of the bar. Feeling bold, Zoey raised herself up on her toes, clutching Max’s bicep to steady herself. She leaned in close, her breath warm against his ear. “Hey. You look really good tonight.” She pulled away slightly so she could look at his face.

Zoey was pleased when she heard his sharp intake of breath as he realized just how close she was. His eyes quickly darted to her lips before meeting her eyes. She had a mischievous glint in her eyes, as if daring him to make a move. Max had just started to lean in when a booming voice sounded over the crowd.

“Ok, next up we have Zoey!”

A look of surprise crossed Max’s face as he shot her an incredulous look. Zoey shook her head and let out a soft laugh. It wasn’t exactly a secret that she wasn’t much for public singing, at least not voluntarily. But tonight, she tossed those fears aside because this wasn’t about belting out some silly song to a crowd of drunk strangers.

She flashed him a dazzling smile before turning on her heel and marching confidently toward the stage.

As the music started up, Zoey grabbed the microphone, locked her eyes on Max, and began to sing.

_"Don't take pride to fall in love  
Nothing else I need to fulfill my dreams  
You're by my side  
I feel alive, you're by my side"_

Zoey reflected on how her relationship with Max had changed these past few months. Their weekly movie nights had turned into biweekly movie nights. Lunch dates happened at least three times a week and Max was her steadfast game night partner. She even accompanied him to one of his Judo appointments as a way to step out of her comfort zone. Plus, she figured she could benefit from some physical exertion. Her lips curved into a smile as she thought of some other physical activities she’d like to try with Max.

_"I recognize, no matter what  
We don't have a lot  
But the whole wide world is ours  
You give enough, you give me love"_

She kept singing and her cheeks flushed as she remembered the way Max’s lips felt against hers and the sensation of his fingers tangled in her hair as his body was pressed tight against hers. Her breath hitched as she imagined just how good those hands would feel elsewhere...

Searching the crowd, she spotted Max leisurely making his way toward her, watching her with such intensity that her stomach started doing somersaults.

_"You give it heart, you wanna please her  
Turn a hater into a believer  
What would I give to have a man like you  
What would I give to have a man like you  
Ohh, wait a minute I do"_

Zoey internally chided herself for taking so long to realize what was right in front of her. She thought back to all the excuses she had given Max as to why they shouldn’t be together. It all seemed so stupid now. So much time wasted because she let fear dictate her life.

She didn’t want to be afraid anymore.

_"Don't need to try, don't need to hide  
It's so natural  
It's the way it feels with you and  
You're by my side, I feel alive"_

Any doubts Zoey had about a relationship with Max had vanished months ago but she knew her heart was still healing from the loss of her father. Max had shown her all the patience in the world while she sorted through her emotions, giving her space to decide how she wanted their relationship to proceed.

_"You get the Jack, you bring the fever  
Boy you are higher, it's you that I admire  
It is true  
It don't take much to fall in love with you"_

Looking at Max now, a sense of clarity washed over her. She had fallen in love with him long before she was ready to admit it to herself. What the two of them shared was worth risking everything for and she needed him to know that she was all in.

_"You make it right, you make it good  
And you're doing everything you should  
What would I give to have a man like you  
A man that always seems to follow through"_

Carefully so she wouldn’t fall, Zoey made her way down the stairs. Once on solid ground, she lifted her gaze to Max who was now standing near the stage. She bridged the distance between them in a few quick steps.

_"You give it heart, you wanna please her  
Turn a hater into a believer  
What would I give to have a man like you  
Hm, wait a minute I do  
I got a man like you"_

The music faded away and Zoey was standing in front of Max, looking at him expectantly, trying to gauge his reaction. When he didn’t speak for several long moments, her earlier confidence vanished and panic started to set in.

“Oh, god. I’m sorry. That was rather presumptuous of me. I didn’t mean it, like, I _have_ you. Because we definitely haven’t had that talk yet. Just...”

Max cocked his head and a warm smile spread across his face. “Zoey,” he said softly.

She didn’t appear to have heard him as her rambling continued. “Just like, I’ve been thinking a lot lately about... about you. And about us. How I’d like, more than anything, to be an _us_. If um... that’s something you’d be interested in?”

Max stepped closer, bringing his left hand to rest on her hip while the other cupped her face, brushing his thumb tenderly against her cheek.

“Zoey, I’m _very_ interested.” He pulled her flush against him before leaning down to capture her lips with his own. Zoey smiled into the kiss, exuberantly wrapping her arms around his neck, almost knocking him over in her excitement. 

Max abruptly ended the kiss and Zoey whimpered in protest. He put his hands on her shoulders, locking her in place. “Wait. Before this goes any further I have to tell you just how wrong you were earlier.”

Zoey stared at him in confusion, trying to understand exactly what she could possibly be wrong about.

His eyes were shining brightly as he responded. “After your song, when you were panic rambling, you said you didn’t _have_ me. But you do. And honestly you always have. I guess what I’m trying to say is... I’m yours.” He smirked at her.

“Hey Max?”

“Yeah?” 

“Just shut up and take me home.”

He didn’t need to be told twice.


End file.
